Ornamental display device



March 29, 19318.

H, W. TUCKERl ET Al.

ORNAMENTAL DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1934 N VEN TORS hlm/wwwa MMM BY M M 44" A TTORNEY Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES ii'lhlit'iOFFHCE Harry W. Tucker and William S. McLeish, New York, N. Y.

Application October 19, 1934, Serial No. 749,026

7 Claims.

This invention relates to ornamental display devices and is particularlyadapted to the display of pictures, signs and similar articles.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus fordisplaying flat articles which will present an attractive appearance.

Another object is to provide an improved display apparatus which will besimple in construction and economical to manufacture.

Another object is to provide an improved display apparatus with whichpictures, signs or the like may be easily assembled.

Another object is to provide an improved display apparatus in whichobjects lying in dierent planes may be displayed.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention will be better understood from the description of severalpractical embodiments thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawing,in which;

Figure l is a perspective View of one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a central sectional view taken on line II-Il thereof;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing another embodiment of theinvention; n

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary views corresponding to the upper portionof Figure 2 but showing further modications of the apparatus;

Figure 6 is a perspective View of another embodiment;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 'I-'I of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 of still another embodiment ofthe invention.

This application is a continuation of our copending application SerialNo. 648,531 filed December 23, 1932, for Ornamental display devices, asto all subject matter common to both applications.

In Figures 1 and 2 a device is shown consisting of a base I which may beof wood, metal or other solid material, and is provided with two slots 2and 3 extending downwardly from its upward 45 surface. These slots areadapted to receive the lower ends of sheets 4 and 5 which constitute thepictures, signs or the like, and which may be of paper, cardboard,Celluloid or any desired thin iexible material.

50 The slots converge upwardly, being disposed at a more acute anglethan that which would be assumed by the sheets if these were allowed toremain in two planes with their upper edges abutting and their loweredges separated by the dis- 55 tance between the slots. 'Ihe sheets 4and 5,

(Cl. l0-152.1)

therefore, press upon each other at or near their upper edges, bendingthemselves into slightly concave form which causes them' to befrictionally heid Within the slots.

A'strip Ei of thin flexible material, such as sheet 5 metal, Celluloid,or the like, has its lower end secured within the base I, as by a nailor tack 1. Its upper end is provided with a ring 8 or .other shapedpiece, which may be secured to it in any desired manner as by adhesive,soldering, rivets 10 or the like, and serves as a handle by which theentire device may be picked up. The thickness of strip 5 is slight andserves to separate the sheets i and 5 only negligibly at thecentralportions of their upper edges 'between which it passes. 15

Instead of two continuous sheets, it will be obvious that mats such asillustrated in our abovementioned copending application may 'be used andthe term sheet will therefore be used to include both single integralsheets and compound sheets each comprising a mat, frame, cutout sheet,or the like.

In Figure 3 a device is illustrated having a base I I, substantiallyidentical to the base of the first figure, provided with slots I 2 and I3 and arranged to hold sheets I 4 and I5 which constitute the articlesto be displayed. A central post or mast IG is provided having a reducedlower end Il' which is secured within a hole in the base by friction oradhesive or in any other desired manner. 'I'he upper end of the mast maybe provided with a ring I 8. The post or mast I6 is rigid and serves tohold the sheets or cards I I and I5 in iiexed position, rather thanpermitting them to bear upon each other.

.Tn Figure 4 a mast 26 is shown as provided with an enlarged top 28, thejuncture of the mast and the top forming shoulders 28a. and 28h, underwhich the upper edges of the sheets or cards 24 and 25 may be inserted,so that the post or mast 40 serves to hold these cards down within theslot of the base.

In Figure 5 the upper end of the post or mast 3S is below the upperedges of the sheets or cards 34 and 35, and so by them concealed fromView, while serving to hold these sheets in the desired flexed position.

In Figures 6 and 'l a device having two posts or masts is illustrated.It has a base 4 I, in general 50 similar to the bases of figurespreviously described, slots 42 and 43 holding the lower ends of thesheets 44 and 45, while the two posts 46 are arranged near the ends ofthe base. They are shown in Figur-e 7 as having reduced ends 41 55extending through apertures in the base and riveted over as indicated at41a.

Each post has extending through it a slot 46a and in these slots aresupported cards or pictures 49. The sheets 44 and 45 in thismodification are made of transparent material or have apertures formedthrough them so that parts of sheets 49 may be seen. Obviously withtransparent i sheets, opaque borders or the like may be provided, or itis possible to provide such sheets with colors or illustrated portionshaving some relation to the illustrations or the like on sheets 49, andserving in eiiect as a foreground while sheet 49 serves as a background.

The posts 4S may be made integral, as by being formed with a singlepiece of rod or the like having a looped portion 48 `which serves as ahandle, or connected in any other desired manner.

In Figure 8 a post or mast 56 is illustrated having a plurality ofnotches 56a and 56h formed in it. The sheets or cards 54 and 55 bearupon the post as in the form above described, While inner sheets 59 aresprung into place with their edgesl in the notches and so frictionallyheld. Thel notches also permit the use of diierent sized sheets 59. A ly Posts of `the form illustrated in Figure 8 may `beused in pairs, asare the pairs 46, or singly,

as is post l B, and like the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6 or 7these make possible the use of the outer sheets 54 and 55Vto serve as aframe by having transparent or cutout vcentral portions or to act as aforeground,

While We have described several illustrated embodiments of our inventionin some particularity, obviously many others will readily occur to thoseskilled in this art, and We do not, therefore, limit ourselves to theprecise details shown and describedbut claim as our invention allembodiments, variations and modiiications thereof coming Within thescope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A display device comprising a piece of flexible resilient material, abase provided with a slot adapted to receive the lower end of saidsheet, a rigid post fixed to said base, the slot being of a depth aplurality of times its width and disposed at alesser angle to the basethan would be assumed by the sheet if left free with its upper endtouching the post and its lower end separated from the post bythe samedistance as the slot is spaced therefrom, whereby thesheet is caused toiiex itself and bear against the post.

2. A display device comprising two sheets of iiexible resilient opaquematerial and a base provided with slots adapted to receive the lowerends of said sheets and disposed at a more obtuse angle than would beassumed by the sheets if left free with their upper ends touching eachother,V

and their loWer ends separated by the same distance as the slots,whereby the sheets are caused to bear upon each other and mutually exeach other.

3. A display device comprising two sheets of flexible resilientmaterial, supporting means common to both said sheets causing them tobear upon each other and mutually flex each other, and a handleconnected to the supporting means and extending beyond the edge of thesheets remote therefrom.

4. A display device comprising a sheet of flexible resilient materialand through portions of which an object there behind may be viewed, asupporting base, and a post secured to said base, the base receiving oneend of the sheet and causing it to bear upon the post, the post havingmeans for supporting a second sheet behind said first mentioned sheetyin a position to be viewed through the above referred to portions ofthe first mentioned sheet.

5. A display device comprising a sheet of flexible resilient material, asupporting base, and a post secured to said base, the base receiving oneend of the sheet and causing vit to bear upon the post,.and the posthaving slots for supporting a second sheet behind said rst mentionedsheet.

6. A display device comprising a sheet of flexible resilient material, asupporting base, and a post secured to said base, the base receiving oneend of the sheet and causing it to bear upon the post, and the posthaving notches for supporting a second sheet behind said first mentionedsheet.

'7. A display device comprising a sheet of flexible resilient materialhaving portions through which an object behind the sheet may be viewed,a supporting base, and a plurality of posts secured to said base andarranged onopposite sides of said portions of the sheet, the basereceiving one end of the sheet and causing it to bear upon the posts,the posts having means for supporting a second sheet behind rsaid' firstmentioned sheet, said second sheet extending between said posts andbeing visible through said portions of the rst mentioned sheet.

HARRY W. TUCKER. WILLIAM S. MCLEISH.

